Secret Rendezvous

5.

Present Day

"Admit it the musical express is the best ride out there." Landry takes a huge bite of vanilla ice cream as we sit on the edge of the large queen sized bed in his suite.

I expected there to be several rooms attached to the suite, but it's only a large bed in a room twice the size of mine. Nothing too fancy, and everything has the same boring tan and white scheme as my room.

"I don't know, I'd say the vomit machine is better."

It's not actually called that, but in my mind it was. The carnival at the festival didn't have the most reliable rides, but it was still a major part of the weekend. The vomit machine is one of those rides you stand up in and it spins you like a dreidel out of control. I won't admit out loud, but the the first three times were an unpleasant experience and I almost vomited on some guys shoes.

"We should go." He says, but it sounds like, shwee shwood shwo. His mouth is stuffed to the brim with ice cream. It's like being with me brings out the kid in him. As much as I loved the teen version of Landry, I've met him, now I want to know the thirty-two year old sitting beside me.

"Go?"

"Tomorrow night, I'll meet you at the Ferris wheel. Eight o'clock?"

I crunch on some m&ms and stare at him. He grabs his head and I chuckle. "Brain freeze?"

He rubs hard at his temples and then glances over with a smirk, as he shovels another large scoop into his mouth. I roll my eyes as he winces from the cold.

"Don't you have to perform tomorrow?"

He shakes his head. "Sunday is our last performance. I'm good for tomorrow night."

My pulse races at the image of us on the Ferris wheel twenty years ago. A kiss with him now would be so different. I would at least know what I'm doing. Why am I contemplating this? I've spent many years avoiding thinking about it. I was so mad that he dropped off the face of the earth that I couldn't bear to go on the ride.

"Tell me Callie." He pauses and faces me. I turn and as I do he tucks a stray strand of hair dangling in front of my left eye. I shiver at his touch. "Aside from becoming your dad, what else have you done with your life? Are you dating someone? Did you go to college?"

His hazel eyes flicker over my face, he reaches up to touch me again, even without the strand of hair, but pulls back instead. I want to reach out and pull his hand back, but I don't.

"I'm currently single. I don't date much because I spend most of my time working. When I'm not at the festival I work at a local concert hall, so I work a lot of weekends. Can't be without music."

He smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "I know how that feels. Have you ever been to one of our shows?"

I shake my head. "The venue I work for mainly caters to local musicians. I do dedicate my summer to working at Jones Beach on my nights off. You came close one summer, but played Jersey instead."

He's quiet for a few moments while he contemplates what to ask next.

"Did you realize it was me before yesterday?"

I grip the white down hotel comforter in my fists. "I didn't. I've listened to your music and heard your voice and swore up and down a million times that it might be you, because there aren't many people named Landry. I guess I never put two and two together." I shrug.

"I should give you a private show then." He shifts in his spot.

"I mean I did see you perform, and I was in the front row..."

"Not the whole time you weren't."

He pushes the moveable tray out from the bed and jumps to his feet. I don't hesitate to take his hand when he holds it out to me. He pulls me over to the large radiator. Letting go he hops up onto it. The metal groans under his weight.

"Oh my god, Landry, you're gonna break that radiator," I laugh.

He smiles, holds his hands like he's playing guitar, then starts singing. "Oh Callie you are my number one fan. I want to kiss you in the back of my van."

I bubble over with laughter as he makes up fake lyrics.

"I feel like I should be holding up a sign for you that says, Landry I want to have your babies. If I'm gonna be your front row girl I have to be a little crazy, right?"

Landry chuckles and reaches down for my hand. They clasp together again as if he were the missing piece to my puzzle. I step up onto the radiator, and it creaks under both our weight. Laughter fills the hotel room as he sings.

"You're my front row girl, my merch table cutie, the girl who slipped away."

He makes up the lyrics as he pulls me into him, then twirls me back out. Fear that I'll fall takes over as my foot slips. Landry grabs hold of me around my waist pulling me into him. Our bodies collide with an umph. It's a surreal feeling to have his hard body tangled in mine.

He pulls away to hop down. With his feet planted on the carpet he reaches up for me. Instead of taking my hand he grabs my waist lifting me from the radiator. As if it were the most natural thing in the world my legs wrap around his middle as he holds tight. Under me his heart races while his shoulders shift up and down from his large deep breaths.

"You look terrified, Cal." There's a roughness to his voice that sends me over the edge.

I lower my gaze and find his inviting eyes. Inside the hazel are specks of gold that I swear flicker when he's looking at me.

"I am." I admit.

"Do I scare you?" He asks in a soft whisper that sends chills down my spine.

"Not you exactly - it's the thought of what was or could have been. It was only four days, but I felt so connected..."

I don't have a chance to finish, because his lips land on mine. At first neither of us make a move. I can't tell if the lightning bolt shooting through my body right now is real or if it's because of a fantasy I've had since I was twelve.

He's the first to move forward. His soft tongue darts out. He waits for my response. When I open my mouth to invite him in he moans and the sound vibrates me all the way to my core and I sink into his touch.

Landry is again the first to deepen the kiss. I wish I knew what he was thinking. Did he call me up here because he knew I'd be an easy target? I've read things in magazines that didn't sit well with me. He's had many girlfriends throughout his rise to fame, and being in the public eye, people talk.

He lifts a hand, steadying me with only one, and caresses my face. With a simple touch of his hand, I'm his. I don't care if we are practically strangers, I'm going to take it all in and savor the one thing I've always wanted.

He slowly backs me up towards the bed. It's my turn to make the first move, so I reach under his tight shirt and run my fingers up his back in delicate circles.

"Calli." He moans my name and I'm hooked. At twelve we couldn't do anything more than french kiss, but here as adults alone in a hotel room anything is possible. The question is do I want it? I must, because my hands find their way to the waist of his jeans and tug at them as if he was already mine.